Someone once said 'The identity of one changes with how one perceives reality.' If that's the case, our reality is a confusing one indeed, which makes identity that much harder to pin down. With one photographer's unique perspective on reality, identity and the world through her own observations, B21 Gallery delves into new territory with an exhibit that looks at the funkier side of defining an identity.

Nadine was invited to exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London as part of a group exhibition entitled 'Arabize Me'. She has adapted that exhibit for Dubai with a collection that includes a series of portraits depicting Arabs from across the region with an eclectic mix of artistic, creative and cultural milieus entitled, ‘Who I Am' or ‘Meen Ana' in Arabic. In addition, there are two other categories under ‘What I See' and ‘What I Read', which offer a highly personal depiction of reality and identity in today's world, relying on the inherent contrasts that exist.

Each section of the exhibit is saying something, perhaps better left to the audience's perception of reality, a ‘read between the lines' exercise that tells of individual identity. The Meen Ana portraits make bold statements on identity, with proudly displayed messages that leap off the image. On the other hand, the ‘What I See' and ‘What I Hear' series are more open to interpretation; how life is versus how life is portrayed in the media.

The exhibit seeks to take the notion of identity to a different level; showing that what binds and defines an Arab extends far beyond one static definition and instead is a constantly changing, dynamic process. According to Nadine, 'it is the faces produced by these interesting times, that best defines what we are, and what I am. Ultimately, the challenge is left to the viewer to find what they will in it. '

Nadine Kanso was born in Beirut , Lebanon in 1968. She spent her entire childhood there and later gained two degrees from the Lebanese American University . Nadine majored in Communication Arts and Advertising Design; these degrees laid the foundation for her work in design and photography today. She has worked in various design-related fields as well as dabbling in journalism. From print to television, film to design, Nadine's approach to design is like her approach to life- to love, to live and to learn.